Batteries used in stand alone power supply systems are commonly lead-acid batteries. However, lead-acid batteries have limitations in terms of performance and environmental safety. For example, typical lead-acid batteries often have very short lifetimes in hot climate conditions, especially when they are occasionally fully discharged. Lead-acid batteries are also environmentally hazardous, since lead is a major component of lead-acid batteries and can cause serious environmental problems during manufacturing and disposal.
Flowing electrolyte batteries, such as zinc-bromine batteries, zinc-chlorine batteries, and vanadium flow batteries, offer a potential to overcome the above mentioned limitations of lead-acid batteries. In particular, the useful lifetime of flowing electrolyte batteries is not affected by deep discharge applications, and the energy to weight ratio of flowing electrolyte batteries is up to six times higher than that of lead-acid batteries.
A flowing electrolyte battery, like a lead acid battery, comprises a stack of cells that produce a total voltage higher than that of individual cells. But unlike a lead acid battery, cells in a flowing electrolyte battery are hydraulically connected through an electrolyte circulation path.
The cell stack often comprises a stack of electrode plates separated by separator plates to define a plurality of half cells. The half cells each comprise an electrode plate, an adjacent separator plate and a capillary tube. The half cells are generally rectangular in top plan view, but have a cut-away region at corners of the electrode plate to accommodate a manifold for pumping electrolyte into and out of the battery. However, due to an often complex shape formed by the cut-away regions, testing of individual electrode plates before they are assembled into a battery can be difficult.
There is therefore a need to overcome or alleviate problems associated with manufacturing and testing electrode plates of flowing electrolyte batteries of the prior art.
The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge either in Australia or elsewhere.